Norway reaches World Cup knockout stage as manager storms locker room and Haaland predicts France win

Norway defeated Senegal 3-2 in the Group B match of the 2026 World Cup, securing a second straight win and the country's first knockout‑stage appearance since 1998. After the victory, head coach Støre Solbakken entered the locker room, stopped the music, and shouted that it was "the biggest match in Norwegian football history," before striking a camera and kicking a photographer. Teammate Alexander Sérullot later joked with the cameraman, asking if he was okay. The Norwegian federation’s official social media post humorously noted that the team might need new cameras for the upcoming knockout games.

Ahead of Norway's next match against France, striker Erling Haaland publicly declared that France would win and that they would go on to claim the tournament, saying he was not focused on the upcoming game. His confident remarks were reported by French outlet L'Équipe.